The invention relates to a printed circuit board, in particular for a display instrument in a motor vehicle, having a coupling element of a plug-in device and having one or more clearances and one or more terminal contacts of the coupling element which pass through the clearances, the coupling element having a base connected to the printed circuit board and the terminal contact or contacts on the side of the printed circuit board which is facing away from a coupling region of the coupling element being electrically connected to said printed circuit board.
Such printed circuit boards are widely encountered, for example in modern instrument clusters of motor vehicles, and are therefore known. A coupling element designed as a connector receptacle serves in this case for the electrical connection of the printed circuit board to an electrical connector, by means of which the data exchange of the instrument cluster with vehicle electronics for activating the individual displays of the instrument cluster takes place in particular. Fastening of the connector receptacle on the printed circuit board and the required contacting of the electrical conductors of the receptacle with conductor tracks of the printed circuit board are complex operations here. It is necessary to position the connector receptacle and the printed circuit board exactly with respect to each other, join them and caulk them. In this way, a mechanical connection is achieved between the printed circuit board and the connector receptacle. In addition, the electrical conductors of the connector receptacle also have to be contacted with the printed circuit board, which is carried out for example by means of a wave-soldering process. In particular, the first-mentioned steps of joining and connecting the connector receptacle to the printed circuit board are complicated and time-consuming and, particularly when manufacturing large numbers in automated mass production, represent a considerable obstacle.